eSports might still be in the “growth” stage, but it’s filling stadiums faster than a Trump rally in Texas
Let’s face it, to become a professional athlete, you have to win the genetic lottery first and foremost. No amount of practice, training, and game experience is going to put you in the NBA is you’re 5’10” with a negative verticle leap — trust us, we tried.
But with eSports, you can be a “deplorable living in your basement” and be working hard on your towards the $20 million payday. (Sorry, that one was too easy in the post-election haze.)
It’s the ultimate revenge of the nerds — computer geeks taking over the world. And much like we do in malls around the holidays — where we go and count bags and see where folks are shopping — if we start counting the numbers of where the butts are in the seats right now, you see empty seats at NFL, NBA and MLB arenas and stadiums, but literally it’s standing room only at the eSports events. Follow the money . . . always follow the money.
Esports events can fill a big stadium of fans who watch video game pros play for $20 million in prizes. But compared to traditional sports, esports still have a long way to go.One telling statistic: Traditional sports leagues such as basketball monetize fans at about $15 per person. Esports right now is monetizing at $2.83 per person, according to market researcher Newzoo. Everyone is out to change that.
